Stamp-mill.



No. 727,809. PATENTED MAY 12 1903.

0 GFLANE. 'STAMP MILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented May 12, 1903.

Prion.

. CHARLES 0. LANE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STAMP-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,809, dated May 12,1903. Application filed December 5, 1901. Serial No. 84,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES 0. LANE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Mills, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of stampmills in which the ore iscrushed by the fall of a stamp which has been lifted to a predeterminedheight and then falls by gravity upon the ore or other material in themortar; and the objects thereof are chiefly to provide a mill in whichthe fall of the stamp is easily adjusted and in which the power requiredto raise the stamp is reduced to the minimum and certain improvements inthe mortar and in other parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, inwhich- The upper part of Figure 1 is a front view of my improvedstamp-mill,and the lower part is a central vertical section of themortar, the die being in elevation. Fig. 2 is a side View, partly brokenaway, of a modified form of a gripping device, guide, and pitmanconnection. Fig. 3 is a side view of a swivel-joint, one side of thelower member being removed.

In the drawings, A is the frame of the machine, in the top of which ismounted shaft B, on which shaft is driving-pulley G and crank D,carrying pin E, which is connected to the vertical guide F, moved inguideway G, by pitman H. The vertical guide is connected to spiral guideI by a swivel-joint, (illustrated in Fig. 3,) so as to permit of avertical movement of guide F, while guide I has a spiral 0r twistingmovement, which is given thereto by the inclines or spiral guidelugs I,afiixed to the frame. The swivel-joint is composed of a stem g, which isaffixed to guide F and has one or more projecting circular flanges g,which fit in corresponding recesses in a socket h, affixed to guide 1.Bigidly affixed to the spiral guide are the resilient gripping-prongs J,having catches J on their adjacent faces at the lower end, which lowerends curve downwardly and then upwardly to form release-hooks J. Thesegripping-prongs are adapted to pass over the cone-shaped head K- of thestamp-stem L and grip and retain a hold on the same until releasedtherefrom. They are provided with pins Z to prevent vibration whenreleased from the stamp-head. The stem is adjustably connected to thestamp-head M, and a spring N, coiled around the stem, prevents a suddenjar when the stamp is raised. bottom of the stamp is the removable shoeM, which when worn to the stam p-head may be removed and used as adieuntil completely worn'out. O is the mortar, which has a hole in thebottom thereof, around which is an upwardly-projecting flange O, whichwith outside casing forms an annular cup for holding mercury. Projectinginto the mortar through the hole in the bottom thereof directly belowthe shoe orstriking-face of the stamp is die P, which consists ofa'plurality of removable sections. The lower section of the die restsupon a metallic adjusting-plate R, whose ends projectbeyond theremovable metal spacingplate S, resting on cap-plate T on the end oftimber U. As the die wears away it may be raised, the projecting ends ofthe adjustingplate providing a convenient means therefor, and anadditional spacing-plate interposed between the cap-plate and theadjusting-plate to retain the face of the die in its proper position. Ifdesired, the die may consist of a single piece and may be adjusted tocompensate for wear in any suitable manner, such as suitable plates ofdifferent thicknesses to be placed on the' supporting-timber under thedie, a thicker platebeing substituted for a thinner one to compensatefor the wear. The joint between the die and mortar-box is madewater-tight by a packing-ring V, of rubber, which is held compressedagainst the bottom of the mortar and the die by a metallic plate W,which is attached to the mortar by bolts X.

In this construction of a stamp-mill there are many advantages over thestamp-mills which use the cam and tappet for raising the stamps, amongwhich are the following; The lifting power to raise the stamp is appliedmore directly and with less friction. The stamp can be lifted tomuch'greater height than is practicable with a cam and tappet, and thereforea much lighter stamp may be used to obtain the same effec't'as a heavierstamp falling a less distance, and the mill may be constructed oflighter material. The

adjustment of the pitmau on the crank-arm In the ore in the mortar.

provides a-ready means of changing the stroke of the stamp. The shoesand dies may be more nearly worn out than in other mills and less metalbe thrown on the scrap heap.

111 the operation of my mill power is applied to cause the rotation ofthe crank-arm. As it rises it elevates the stamp, which is turnedslightly by the spiral guide, so that the striking-face of the stampwill fall with different parts of the stamp and die oppositely disposedto the parts which were oppositely disposed at the preceding fall of thestamp,

and thereby preserve an even wear on thestriking-face and on thedie-face. As the gripping-prongs rise to near the upper limit ofmovement the release-hooks contact with release-bars Y, affixed to theframe, which bars cause the separation of the grippingprongs far enoughto release the head of the stamp-stem, when the stamp falls upon theThese release-bars are adjustable on the frame, so as to cause therelease of the stamp at any point in its upward movement, therelease-hooks being constructed to that end. If desired, the pitman maybe connected by a universal joint directly to the spiral guide and thevertical guide dispensed with, as illustrated in Fig. 2. I prefer to useboth guides when running at a high rate of speed, as the vertical guidegives greater steadiness. In Fig. 2 I have also illustrated a modifiedform of gripping device, in which a represents gripping members to gripthe head of the stamp-stein. These members are pivoted to the spiralguide I), which is connected with the pitman by the universal joint 0.The gripping members are released on their upward movement by coming incontact with the release-blocks d, affixed to the frame, and thegripping ends are held closed by spring e,which gives them a positivegrip on the head of the stem of the stamp on theirdownward movement.When the stamps are to be operated in gangs, the cranks may be on one ormore shafts in properrotation and the length of the drop regulated bythe crankarms or the position of the releasebars. In case the drop isregulated by the position of the release-bars the gripping-prongs mustbe constructed so as to release the stamp before the full upward strokeis made. Eccentrics may be used on the shaft instead of cranks, ifdesired. I am aware that gripping-prongs have been heretofore used tocatch the head of a stem; but in all the gripping devices with which Iam acquainted gravity is depended upon to cause the prongs to cometogether to grip the liead of the stem. This movement is all right wherea quick movement of the stem is not required; but where speed isrequired gravity is too slow in causing the prongs to grip the head ofthe stem, and to obtain a quicker movement I make the prongs ofresilient material or spring-press them, so that they will spring inupon the head of the stem immediately the head passes the catches of theprongs.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A stamp-mill comprising a frame; a shaft mounted in the upper portionthereof; a crank affixed to said shaft; a pitman connected to saidcrank; a guide connected to the pitman; resilient gripping-prongsaffixed to the guide; said gripping-prongs having catches on theiradjacent faces,and outwardly and upwardly turned release-hooks on theirlower ends; release-bars affixed to the frame, adapted to contact withthe release-hooks of the prongs on their upward movement and release thehead of the stamp-stem from the prongs; a stamp having anupwardly-extending stem with a conical-shaped head; and a mortar havinga removable die projecting through the bottom thereof.

2. In a stamp-mill, a mortar having a hole in the bottom thereof; anupwardly-projecting flange integral with the bottom projecting upwardlyand surrounding said hole; a die projecting through the flange in thebottom of the mortar; means to adjust and support said die; incombination with a stamp; and means to operate said stamp.

3. A stampmill comprising a frame; a shaft mounted in the upper portionthereof; a crank affixed to said shaft; a pitman connected to saidcrank; a guide connected to the pitman; resilient gripping-prongsaffixed to the guide; said gripping-prongs having catches on theiradjacent faces,'and outwardly and upwardly turned releasehooks on theirlower ends; release-bars affixed to the frame, adapted to contact withthe release-hooks of the prongs on their upward movement and release thehead of the stamp-stem from the prongs; in combination with a mortar.

4. In a stamp-mill for crushing ore comprising a frame; a shaft mountedin the top thereof; a crank-arm on said shaft; a pitman connected tosaid crank-arm; a vertical guide connected to said pitman; a spiralguide rotatably connected to the vertical guide; resilientgripping-prongs affixed to said spiral guide, having catches on theirinner faces; and outwardly and upwardly turned releasehooks on theirlower ends; release-bars affixed to the frame, adapted to contact withthe release hooks, and release the stamp therefrom on its upwardmovement; a stamphead having at one end an upwardly-projecting stemprovided with a conical head and a removable shoe in the end oppositethe stem;

and a mortar having a removable die project:

ing through the bottom thereof; and means to support and adjust said dieto compensate for the wear thereof.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my'namethis 29th day of November, 1901.

CHARLES 0. LANE.

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, ll/IATTIE MOGINNIS.

